November 8, 2007

Here’s a trivia question I’ve stumped film buff friends with: Who was the fourth actor to play the Frankenstein Monster in the movies?

The answer is: Boris Karloff. The most famous of all Frankenstein Monsters was preceded by 3 silent era actors.

The first was Charles Ogle, the scarecrow-like Monster in the so-called “Edison” Frankenstein of 1910. The film was lost and forgotten for over 50 years, only to miraculously surface in a private collection. Today, you can watch or download the sixteen-minute silent on Archive.org.

The second Frankenstein Monster of the movies was played by English-born Percy Darrell Standing in the 1915 feature-length Life Without Soul. The film is lost but a publicity sheet clearly shows the Monster as a dimwitted brute in a torn shirt, without disfiguring makeup. The whole drama, as it often turned out in films of the era, is revealed in the end to have been a dream.

The third interpretation is infinitely more mysterious. Its existence was largely unknown through most of the 20th century and, still today, very little is known about it.

The 1920 Il Mostro di Frankenstein was produced in Italy, with German investment, by Luciano Albertini, who also portrayed Dr. Frankenstein. It co-stars his frequent film collaborators: Wife Linda Albertini and the imposing Umberto Guarracino as The Monster. Of the plot, all we know is that the Doctor confronts his creation in a dark cave. The whole thing clocked in at some 39 minutes of screen time. The film was reputedly censored by Italian authorities, compelling Albertini and company to pursue their film careers in Germany.

The following year, 1921, Guarracino played “the product of the secret workshop” in Die Insel der Verschollenen (Island of the Lost), an unauthorized adaptation of H.G.Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau. Trivia question #2: Can you name the only other actor to ever play both the Frankenstein Monster and a creation of Dr. Moreau?

Guarracino is perhaps best remembered as Pluto, the fuzzy-bearded King of Hell to “strong man” genre superstar Bartolomeo Pagano’s Maciste in the classic Maciste all'inferno of 1926, the film that is said to have inspired a young Federico Fellini to become a filmmaker. By the way, Maciste in Hell is a special effect knockout with very elaborate sets and all manner of beast men, alluring she-devils, and a giant fire-breathing dragon identified as “Hell’s Aeroplane”!

Of Frankenstein’s Mostro, nothing survives save an illustration on a Belgian promotion flyer. It shows the monster surrounded by smoke or flames, menacingly brandishing a stick. In the background, an urgent figure appears on a staircase. A “mysterious vision”, the caption reads, “from the novel by Mrs. Shelley”.

I found the small picture on the net years ago, but the source seems to have disappeared. If anyone has access to a better, larger copy, please share!

Out of curiosity, I scanned the image at high resolution, enlarged and photoshopped it a bit to see if any detail could be brought out. I humbly submit the result of this experiment. The Monster appears as a bald-headed, muscular man. The face remains a cipher. A tantalizing image that’ll have to do, at least until a better one is found.

Anonymous #1: I don’t have Glut’s book, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one who found that Le Monstre image, Frankenstein expert that he is.

Anonymous #2: Good call. “F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre” is, apparently, the only man on the planet with miraculous access to just about every famous lost film. Calling it a hoax is too kind. Hoaxing suggests humor, practical jokes, friendly pranks. In this case, the joke has worn very thin and these pompous, bogus “reviews” poison the information on the IMDB.

Right you are, Max. Now can you guys name actors who have played both DOCTOR Frankenstein and Dracula?

Thom: Thanks for the comment on my amateur archeology. There’s little hope, of course, that the lost silent Frankensteins will ever turn up, but if I could see one, I’d pick Mostro based on its terrific cast and the quality of Italian films of the era.

I thought you might say that. Many people are unaware that Deane played the Count. He usually played Van Helsing. But he did play Stoker's undying vampire, in a 1939 West End revival of DRACULA. It was his last role.

Doh! Got me on that one, Max. I hope to get you right back when I post the answer…

Stage-wise, there are lots of theatrical companies that have both Drac and Frank in their repertoire. As an example of an actor playing both Van Helsing and The Monster, one case is Irakli Kavsadze of the Synetic Theater of Chicago. I can’t help thinking there might be several instances where stage actors have essayed the 2 major roles.

Yes, I imagine several, even numerous, stage actors have assayed both roles. Deane is likely the most famous, however.

Oh, and Udo Keir played both Dr. Frankenstein and Dracula. (No, I didn't remember on my own. Sigh.) I do have both movies, so I went digging and came up with the answer. I'm not nuts about either film, however-- so on some level, I probably don't want to remember them!

I did remember the actor (besides Peter Cushing) who has played both Dr. Frankenstein and Van Helsing. Can you name him, Mr. Brain?

I'm sorry, but I'm new to this site. I was looking for information on the film IL Mostro di Franckenstein. By the thread of the article it seems everything on this film was lost. However, a small poster that was printed in 1926 remains. You might want to check out this link.http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FRANKENSTEIN-1926-FIRST-POSTER-EVER-HAROLD-LLOYD-DBL-FT_W0QQitemZ110312511604QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19af235874&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14

“Intelligent and well-presented… avid in seeking out a wide range of examples... A useful research aid for those seeking to survey the uses to which the Frankenstein monster is still being put in popular culture.”— Intute, Arts & Humanities

“Outstanding and intelligent … I am insane with giddiness that "It's ALIVE!!"— Max, The Drunken Severed Head

Forums

All content on this site is copyrighted and/or trademarked, and all rights are reserved by the respective authors. Text posted here may not be reproduced or reblogged without permission. Visuals and references are presented here as quotes under Fair Use for the purpose of scholarship, information or review.